Unknown in the Shadows
by EpicEm103
Summary: Jack Frost was the first to know that Pitch Black was arising again. But his arising was caused by something else, something that the Guardians have to deal with before they try to defeat Pitch again. An unknown figure lurks in moonlight shadows, where even the Man in the Moon can't see him. But Jack knows this figure, and knows that something dreadful will happen... No Romance. :P
1. Chapter 1

Toothiana fluttered around her Tooth Palace. Miniature versions of her zoomed back and forth, carrying teeth from children and placing them in their individual slots. The sun was setting, and the Palace was shining many colours under the light. At the very bottom of the Palace, the lagoons and small tropical waterfalls and scenery seemed to glitter and sparkle, along with the buzzing of the fairies' wings.

In the North Pole, North finally arrived after travelling around the world for Christmas. He, as well as his reindeer, were exhausted from the long flight, and they were eager to get some rest. North was greeted by the Yetis and most of the Elves, as he walked into his Workshop and into the main room where the globe slowly circled. "Congratulations to all the Yetis and Elves who did the toys!" North's voice boomed. "And we were successful!" Everyone in the room clapped. The Yetis cheered in their strange language, and the Elves made their bells ring with joy. North waved, and headed into his office where he slept through the night.

The Sandman stood on his golden cloud of dreamsand, and with every wave of his hand, he formed a string of gold. The golden sand trailed down to many houses in the city of Glasgow in Scotland, and the children smiled as the sand brightened their sleep. Sandy loved seeing the smiles of children, and with his silence and calmness of his character, he made many kids happy while they slept deeply, vanquishing any remaining Nightmares left over from the Nightmare King. When he saw the sun rising, he allowed his sand to loiter and fade as he moved from country to country.

In the Warren under Australia, Bunnymund was busying himself painting any stray eggs. Because Jack Frost seemed out of things to do and places to cover with snow, Bunny had invited him to come and paint some eggs for Easter Sunday. Although the thought of last Easter still lingered between them, both of them pushed the thought to the back of their minds, and only focused of the present time.

To Bunny's surprise, Jack was actually good at painting with a paint brush, and the Pooka couldn't help but get distracted by the intricate patterns the Winter Spirit placed on the eggs.

Ever since Jack became a Guardian, Bunny had grown fonder of him. And although the other Guardians were still learning from the way he behaved mentally and physically, they were still intrigued by the idea of the Man in the Moon choosing him to be a Guardian.

But seeing Jack now in the Warren, concentrating on the egg he was painting, Bunnymund could see more of him than being a troublemaker and sometimes an annoying Winter Spirit who threw snowballs to get the fun out of them. Bunny smiled, and kept painting his egg that was eager to get away.

"How long have you been the Easter Bunny?" Jack asked, letting the egg he just painted run into the ferns and picking up another one.

"I don't remember actually," replied Bunny, picking up a passing egg and changing the colour of paint on his paintbrush. "I've lost count."

"Well, I think everyone knows I've been around for three hundred and one years now," Jack said, smiling. "I'm glad that I'm a Guardian but…" His smile faded.

"What is it?"

"I just…" Jack sighed and said, "Do you ever miss being who you once were before you became the Easter Bunny?" He was now looking at the Pooka, but still holding onto the egg in one hand and the paintbrush in the other.

"I, don't really think about it much," said Bunny, still painting. Jack nodded and stared at the unpainted egg. Then he stopped and, picking up his staff, he asked, "May I?" Bunnymund only nodded, wondering what he was going to do. The younger tapped the egg gently with his staff. They watched in fascination as a swirl of frost covered the entire egg with beautiful patterns. Jack twirled the egg around, handing it to Bunny. The Aussie Rabbit looked at it for a long time before saying, "Well done!" He let it go and looked back at the beaming spirit.

"And you still surprise me with your abilities," said the Pooka, smiling back.

Soon, Jack and Bunny were bounding around the surprisingly large Warren, scaring the terrified Easter eggs and sending them scurrying for cover. The spirits were having a great time, with Jack in mid-air throwing snowballs and Bunny dodging and running around with his large kangaroo-like feet.

It was until Jack felt a pain in his chest, and as it increased, he gasped and sunk to the ground, hidden by the large ferns. Bunny soon began wondering why he wasn't being chased. From where he was, he couldn't see the Guardian of Fun, and as he started to search for him, he wondered if the little prankster was playing a trick on him. He began heading back, perking his ears up for any unusual noises.

Meanwhile, not very far away, the pain in Jack's chest soon subsided, and he stood up, still dazed. He looked around for Bunny, but felt a little lightheaded and stumbled.

Just when he was about to fall, Bunnymund caught him just in time. The younger leaned on him before raising his head to see the Pooka's worried face starring in his own.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Jack only nodded, pushing lightly on Bunnymund to right himself. He knelt down and grabbed his staff, then turned to the worried Easter Bunny.

"What happened?" the Guardian of Hope asked.

"I think," said Jack, "one of my Icelings have just been destroyed."

"By who?"

"I actually think it was Pitch."

"But, Pitch is still too weak to be out of his lair."

"One of my Icelings must have journeyed in there without my permission." Just as that was said, a streak of blue sparkles floated over towards them, disappearing into Jack's chest.

"What kind?" Bunny asked, knowing that Jack knew what he meant.

"It was a sparrow," said Jack, placing a hand on the spot where the ice had disappeared. He looked up and said, "We have to warn the others."

"Allow me." Bunnymund tapped his foot twice on the ground, and a long winding tunnel appeared that led to the North Pole. Jack dove in, clutching his staff tightly, and Bunny jumped in after him. The hole disappeared, blooming a flower in its place.

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><p><strong>Thanks for the ideas guys! I appreciate it. This story will get better...eventually. :P<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

They soon made it to North's Workshop in the freezing snowy realm of the North Pole. Once they were in, North was nowhere to be seen. Jack started to panic, but Bunny quickly calmed him down. They asked the nearest Yeti where he was, and instead of telling them, the furry creature led them to his office.

When they walked in, they saw the familiar unmelting ice covering most of the walls and the ceiling. Jack always felt more at home when he entered this part of the Workshop. At the far side of the office to the right was a closed door. Bunnymund picked up the faint noises of a large man snoring, and motioned for the younger spirit to follow him.

Once they were at the door, Bunny made a sign for Jack to be quiet, which only made the spirit smirk and giggle quietly. This was going to be funny. They were soon at the bed where North slept, and with a deep breath, the Easter Bunny let out a loud, "NORTH!" The man opened his big, blue eyes and jumped up, unsheathing his sabres' and looking around, ready for an attack.

It took a while for the Russian to notice that Bunny and Jack were standing beside him, looking at him seriously. Jack had been close to laughing, but had remembered what happened earlier and decided that it was no laughing matter.

"What are you doing here?" North asked, sheathing his swords.

"We think Pitch has come back," said Bunny.

"How would you know?"

"Because Jack was the one who found out."

"I'll call the others."

Tooth and Sandy soon arrived, and Jack Frost explained what had happened while they were in the Warren. He did mention how much pain he was in, but he quickly added that it wasn't important. Pitch had returned and the Iceling sparrow had seen him.

"We must do something about this," Tooth spoke up, hushing her impatient fairies.

"There is nothing we can do," said North.

They soon noticed that Jack was deep in thought, as if something troubled him.

"Jack," said Tooth, quietly. The Winter Spirit looked up. "Are you okay?" the Fairy asked.

"Uh, yeah," he replied, facing his back to the others and thinking. The others started talking as Jack slowly walked and stopped near the window.

_Pitch can't be coming back now_, he thought. _He's still too weak to even fight us_. He turned slightly to the others. _Unless…_

"I don't think Pitch is arising on his own," he finally said aloud, bringing everyone into silence.

"What do you mean?" asked Bunny, utterly confused.

"Well, Pitch isn't strong enough yet," explained the younger. "I think he has help."

"Then who crushed your Iceling?" asked Tooth.

"Pitch did." Jack thought of his Icelings, and how he placed a bit of himself into each one. But when they were crushed, or slowly pulled apart, they only brought pain to the Winter Spirit. And while this happens, Jack gets a glance, or a vision, of who did it. Once they were gone, the small part of Jack would float back to him as a blue wisp of sparkles, and disappear at his chest. That part only made him sad. "It was the Iceling sparrows' fault," he continued. "It had decided, at the time, to see what Pitch was up to. But…it failed."

"So what are you thinking?" asked the Pooka. "Right now?" he added.

"Well," said Jack, slowly, rising into the air and landing on the crook of his staff. "Before I became Jack Frost, there was a man who hated everything and everyone in the world. He thought they were cruel to him, when he was actually cruel to them. He lived in Burgess where I grew up, and his name was…" He stopped for a moment before continuing. "Dalvin Snake." Saying the name made shivers go down his spine. "One day, while I was out walking alone, he jumped out of a nearby bush with a knife and cut my cheek down here…" He traced a very faint line from the bottom of his right temple down to the side of his mouth. The others winced, feeling the pain he once did.

"That's horrible," said Tooth, worry in her eyes. "That must have been painful!"

Jack only nodded, remembering how much pain he was in that day. "That's how cruel he was," he said. "Anyway, a day before I…" He didn't finish that sentence, although no one knew why. "He committed suicide for all the things many people 'apparently' did to him. Then I met him again after a week of being Jack Frost, but he was a shadow, as if the world had granted his wish of being the darkest Spirit alive." He shivered again.

"Do you know what he looks like?" asked Tooth, after a moment of silence.

"Vaguely."

"Do ya think we could catch 'im?" Bunny asked.

"I dunno."

"Hmm…" North made a humming sound, and that's when everyone realized that he had been silent through the whole explanation. "Although I have never met him before…no." He sighed. "All we can do is keep eye out for him."

"I agree," said Jack, hovering back down onto the floor. Everyone else nodded.

"Alright," said the Russian. "Guardians dismissed."


	3. Chapter 3

Soon, the Guardians had spread out once again, deep in thought. All kept a keen lookout for any unusual signs, including Sandy.

Jack was silent on his way back to Burgess. He landed on a roof of a two-storey structure, and looked around at the different houses that had been rebuilt over centuries from the small village that once stood. He missed his parents and his sister, now that he had seen more of his memories. But the past was in the past, and there was no way of bringing it back.

Jack shook his head and smiled. Although it hurt to be reminded, he was glad to be a Winter Spirit who had many who believed in him. He felt stronger than before, and he also made the Icelings that scattered across the world, protecting every child and also keeping an eye out for suspicious behaviour.

The Winter Spirit was interrupted by a dark whinny of a horse. He bounded off the building he stood on and spotted a Nightmare around the corner.

_A Nightmare?_

_That can't be possible!_

The horse disappeared through and alley, and stopped, as if waiting for Jack to follow. She saw the spirit looking after her, and she galloped onto the street, keeping at a pace for the latter to keep up.

Jack gradually followed, wondering where the black mare was taking him.

Every street light seemed to dull with the passing of the Nightmare, and flicker back on when the teen passed. He kept an eye on the suspicious Nightmare while he followed her into the forest beyond Burgess.

The mare seemed to canter just above the ground as she climbed a hill in the forest. The trees became thicker as they got higher, and Jack was beginning to feel slightly frightened. He quickly shooed the feeling away when the Nightmare disappeared over the hill. The latter climbed to the top and skidded to the bottom, halting in a wide clearing in the forest.

The Nightmare had completely disappeared, and the Winter Spirit searched the area in his attacking stance, clutching his staff tightly. But he saw no one.

He was just about to give up and leave when he heard a dark, evil voice behind him.

"Hello, Jack Frost," it said. The younger was confused at first. It wasn't Pitch's voice. He slowly turned around and tried to hide his annoyance and fright. A tall, slender figure stood on a rock a few meters from him. He couldn't see the man's face, but what he did see made him shiver. The man was made completely out of what looked like black flames. White eyes stood out from the shadows, and his hair seemed to stick up and fly around like a slowed down flame.

The shadow man seemed to smile as Jack scowled and said, "Unknown. I should have guessed."

"Yes," the man said. "It's me."

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just decided that it would be nice to have a little reunion." Unknown waved a hand as if to shoo off a fly and smile.

"Reunion?" Jack asked, confused. Then that confusion turned into anger when Pitch appeared next to him, showing off his sharp teeth in a wide grin.

"Pitch!"

"Did you miss me, Jack?"

"Why would I miss you?" The younger was irritated now. "Why would we miss you? You only bring fear into the world."

"That's why I was created, Jack." He spat the name out, angrily. "Although I was a greedy man before I became Pitch Black, the only thing I had dreamed of was to bring fear and darkness to this world, to be fear and darkness."

"Well, congratulations," said the Winter Spirit in complete sarcasm. "Your 'nightmares' came true."

"Yes, they did," said Pitch, pointing out the obvious. "And I love it!"

"Why are you both here? What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious, Jack?" spoke Unknown, who had been listening to their previous conversation in content.

"You want to take over the world?"

"Not just that." Pitch smiled. "We want to get rid of you Guardians. Starting with you." In instinct, Jack took his attacking stance, but the enemies' smirks only widened. A dark cloud began to form, and the forest around them turned almost black. But a blue light brightened the clearing, and the source came from Jack's staff.

"Then if you're planning on hurting them," said the spirit of winter, "You have to try and get through me first."

"Ah," said Unknown, disappearing and quickly reappearing at the bottom on the rock. "Well, that's just the easy part." In a blink of an eye, the shadow man flicked his wrist. A black needle formed in mid-flight, and stabbed into Jack's chest. The teen gasped in the sudden pain, grasping his chest with both hands and dropping his staff. He fell to his knees, then caught himself with one hand.

"If you want a cure Jack," Unknown snarled, Pitch smirking behind him. "Then you will have to kill me in 3 days' time." Then he knelt down and said, "But if you fail, you will die." Then both spirits of the dark left with a laugh, and Jack sunk to both knees and lay on his side, grabbing his staff as it began to rain.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Flashback…_**

Jackson Overland and his little sister, Emma, had decided to go for a walk one spring day. Jackson had been exploring many places around the small village of Burgess, and he couldn't help but take his beloved sister to the one place he loved most. The top of a small hill where a wide creek formed a waterfall in the trees. This was Jackson's secret spot where it would soon be his sister's as well.

As they walked closer to their destination, a rock was tossed into the air, hitting the sixteen year old in the back of the head. Jackson instinctively grasped the back of his head and turned around.

Standing there, not very far downhill for them, was a tall, thin man with a wide grin on his face. He wore, what the siblings could see, was a long pair of brown pants and a dark cloak that hooded part of his face. They could see the grin on his face, but Jackson only scowled in response.

"What are you doing here?" asked the teen, obviously not impressed by how the man got his attention.

"Oh, I just wanted to go for a walk is all," said the man, trying to sound innocent. The sound of an 's' in each sentence made everybody think he was hissing like a snake. But that only reminded them that he was no one other than Dalvin Snake, a cruel man who hurt people mentally and physically. And he was here.

"Well," said Jackson, suddenly irritated. "Could you leave?"

"I only wanted to go for a stroll. Why do you want me to leave?"

"It seems like you're stalking us more than actually going for a stroll." Like every time, the conversation dropped, and the Overland siblings continued walking up the hill, checking every now and then to see if they were being followed. But no one was seen.

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><p>Jack Frost lay there for what seemed like an eternity. He was fully conscious, but as time stretched past and rain came down, Jack sat up and glanced at himself.<p>

He was muddy from head to toe on one side, and he could hardly see the blue of his hoodie. He sighed, standing up, wincing from the pain his chest.

Then it all came back to him.

Unknown and Pitch were working together, and Unknown had poisoned him.

3 days.

He only has 3 days.

He soon noticed that his staff wasn't broken, and the wind hadn't left him. He sighed in relief at that, and made a wisp of blue sparkles that surrounded him. They slowly flew around him, gradually cleaning the mud off of his hoodie and creating a small barrier around him so he couldn't get wet.

He glanced around, and remembered he was just outside of Burgess.

Jack was about to leave when he saw a hole appear a few meters away to his right. Two long ears poked out of the hole, and a very tall Pooka pounced out, looking around until he saw the Winter Spirit. His ears flopped down as he ran to the latter.

"Bunny?"

"Hey, Snowflake," said Bunny. "I heard something unusual coming from here. Is everything okay?" Jack looked away, sadness taking over the slight joy in his eyes. "What happened?"

Jack hesitated, then said, "It was Pitch. And he's working with Unknown." Bunny growled.

"Then how did you get out here?"

"I was just checking my Icelings in Burgess when I spotted a Nightmare." The Easter Bunny listened, intent. "She led me here. But Unknown appeared and so did Pitch and…" he trailed off, wincing at the slight pain from his chest. He breathed and said, "Unknown poisoned me."

"What?" Bunny was shocked, but that shock was quickly replaced with worry. "Are you okay?"

"I will be," the younger lied. "We only have 3 days until we have to defeat Unknown."

"But how can we do that?"

"Let's call the others and see what they suggest."

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><p><strong>That's my fourth chapter done. I'll make sure I complete this story as best and as soon as I can. If you have any suggestions, review or PM me. And if you want the story Wind and Ice to change a bit, I'll be happy to edit it. Thanks for reviews!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

The Guardians were soon back at the North Pole, and Jack explained the whole story to them. They listened intently while he spoke, but they didn't notice the part when he was poisoned. Bunny didn't say anything about it, either.

When he was finished, the others thought about it for a long time. They thought of how they could approach the villains without being seen, but nothing was possible. They also suggested it out loud, but Jack only explained on what would happen if they tried.

"We could lure one away, and defeat the other," Tooth said. She had been the most silent; listening to everyone's ideas and defying them.

The Winter Spirit had a think about Tooth's idea while he balanced on the top of his staff. Everyone waited for his answer. "It could work," he said, then added, "but it could be dangerous."

"Well," spoke Bunnymund. "We could weaken Pitch…but I don't know about Unknown."

"Unknown is trickier because he's a shadow," explained Jack. "A…living, human-like shadow," he slowly added. There had to be a way around this, but nothing came to the Guardians' heads. The only thing they could come up with was to keep their youngest member safe, but they also knew that the younger spirit could take care of himself, and would prefer to choose that option.

"I cannot think of anything but keeping you safe," said North after a moment of silence. Everyone gradually agreed, making Jack irritated and say, "You know perfectly well that I can take care of myself."

With that said, a small sting ran through his chest, showering the rest of his body with a sting of pain. He clutched his chest and almost fell off his staff, but quickly regained balance. Everyone was staring at him, and Bunnymund asked, "Are you alright mate?"

"Yeah…" Jack sighed, glancing at the confused faces of the other Guardians. He didn't say anything, so Bunny chimed in for him.

"He's been poisoned," he said.

"What?" exclaimed North, looking at Jack.

"You could have told us!" protested Tooth, following the Russians' gaze.

"Well…" began Jack. He sighed heavily and said, "There's just nothing that can be done."

Bunny was shocked. "Is there a cure?"

The Winter Spirit was silent, his face saddening. The Guardians had never seen him like this. "I…we have to defeat Unknown in less than three days. If we don't, then…" he trailed off. The others looked sad for a moment, then North said, "Well, we must do something."

"But what?" asked Toothiana. Sandy raised his hand with a proud expression on his face. He showed the moon of his head and pointed up to Man in the Moon, who had unexpectedly arrived while they had been chatting.

"Manny!" exclaimed North, walking over to the circle embedded in the floor. Everyone else followed him, surrounding the circle in silence as they looked up to the moon. "Why have you come?"

_I have a way to defeat Unknown…although I cannot see him,_ said the Moon. The voice spoke in each head, for the first time in 300 years, he spoke to Jack as well.

A black man appeared in the moonlight; Manny's guess to what the creature looked like. A capital G for Guardian appeared beside the man with a sword. Then the G lurched forward, stabbing the spirit in the chest and making the gathered Guardians jump. The man vanished in a wisp, and the G grew larger as if it were victorious.

The light vanished, leaving the Guardians blinking in surprise.

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><p><strong>Sorry that this is short, but please give me ideas! I need them!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**_Flashback…_**

The wind was cold and the sky was black, but Jack didn't notice. He sped through the trees with the feeling of complete terror. It had only been a week since he became Jack Frost, and something had already found him and was chasing him across the globe. He was alone with no one to save him, and he knew he couldn't keep going forever. He already felt exhausted.

He gathered up his courage, and set foot into the snow, halting in his tracks and freezing like a statue.

"Jack…" said a creepy voice, slurring the words and hissing. The Winter Spirit shuddered and turned around. A tall black figure stood a few meters from him, his white eyes shining eagerly.

"Who are you?" said Jack, fright in his voice. He had himself in an attacking stance, although he was still getting used to his powers.

The figure laughed with glee, and took a step forward. "Do you remember me, Jack?" The answer was a following silence. Jack knew that voice from somewhere, but his memories of his life before becoming a spirit was completely fogged up.

The tall shadow was getting impatient, and he let out a frustrated growl and said, "Unknown."

Jack blinked. He had never heard of this guy, but he felt something so familiar about him. He didn't say anything.

"I've been your nightmare for a long time, and you can't escape it," Unknown hissed through his teeth. He turned to leave, saying, "We will meet again, Frost." And with that, he disappeared.

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><p>The Guardians glanced at each other in both wonder and awe. The Man in the Moon had a point. If they could work together to defeat the two enemies, than Jack would be cured and the world would be saved.<p>

Jack made a cut-off moaning sound, and Bunny saw him with his head down, hand to his chest, eyes closed and was biting his lower lip in pain. He sighed then as if he'd held his breath and his blue eyes flickered open, glancing at the worried Guardians.

They could think of no other way, and they had so little time left before their friend…

They shook the thought away, and were grateful when the silence was finally broken by North's stunned voice.

"We must try new idea," he said. "On Manny's behalf," he quickly added, glancing up at the disappearing moon.

"Then we would have to try it very soon," said Jack. Tooth hovered over and placed a hand on his cold shoulder. When he looked up at her, he didn't smile, and the happiness of his eyes seemed to cloud over into worry.

"Where going to kill him," Toothiana assured, fluttering her wings nervously but keeping her mask of hope on her face. "We will kill him."

"Then let's go!" cheered Bunny. Everyone's moods lightened with the courageous roars of future victory filled the air with the same warmth as it had been before a day ago.

"To the sleigh!" cried North, marching toward the elevator.

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><p><strong>Well, it's another short chapter folks! But I'll make sure the next chapter will be longer and more intensifying. But I'll give you a warning. I may be delaying the rest of the story because I just returned to school on the 2901/15 (today in Australia) and I already have homework. So please be patient. If you want to say anything or if you have ideas, please review or PM me. I enjoy reading your stories as much as I enjoy writing mine. Also, if you find any mistakes, don't be scared to tell me. I'm not that kind of person to get angry at everyone. You didn't need to read this but I'm just letting you know. Thankyou!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. This is my next chapter, and it's really short. But I'll make sure that the next one is extra-long…hopefully.**

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><p>As they rode through the night, the Guardians planned their attack. As they talked, Jack listened intently from the back with full attention on what they were talking about. Stabbing pains shot through his chest more frequently now, telling him that the poison was slowly suffocating the beating of his heart. But he ignored the pain and focused on reality.<p>

There was one more question that they all had when they finished making the plans. Where would the villains be in the world? They knew they wouldn't be in Pitch's lair, but they knew that they would be in a dark place; in a city or a town that had been shrouded in a black storm cloud or a clear night sky. But they also had a feeling that where they were now would be desolate and secret.

North brought out a snow globe from his pocket and spun it around in his hand. He had seated himself back at the front, holding the reins with one hand and the snow globe in the other. Everyone else had had also seated themselves in the wooden sleigh, talking quietly to each other about tactics and different manoeuvres they would display around their dark enemies. Only Jack had noticed North bringing out the glass ball, and the others made room as he passed them and stood behind the jolly man.

"Where are you planning on taking us?" he asked quietly. North glanced up at him and back at the reindeer, and sighed.

"That is problem, isn't it?" he said. His voice wasn't as loud anymore. He had turned it down, making it sound worried and slightly depressed. The Winter Spirit waited for his reply. "I cannot think of place where Pitch and Unknown would be. We may have to circle world looking for them."

"We might not have to," Jack replied. North raised his eyebrows.

"How do you mean?" he asked.

Jack thought for a moment before saying, "Have you ever…described what a place would look like in your head and had just randomly thrown the snow globe?" North shook his head and took in the thought. He had an idea. A good one too.

"I will try that," he said, raising the snow globe. He shook it, then threw it into the air, opening a portal with whirling colours. Everyone noticed and hung on tightly to the sides of the sleigh before they disappeared into the portal.

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><p><strong>Thankyou Valledorthedragon for the great ideas! I'll be using your other ideas for more of the story.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

The world looked chaotic. The air was thin and the darkness seemed to blanket the ruins of a once beautiful city. Mist seemed to linger beneath the flying sleigh as the Guardians looked around in awe and horror.

Everyone felt frightened, but they quickly covered it with courage. The eeriness of this world seemed to touch their hearts and remind them of places similar to this. All except Jack.

The boy couldn't stop looking around. This place was different from all the others he'd discovered. This dark place reminded him of a Greek legend.

The Underworld. Tartarus. Even Hades himself.

But he knew those legends weren't real, and instead of thinking of that, he shook that off and thought of the plan and how they would do it. Would they be successful? Or will they fail?

North kept the sleigh flying for a while before landing it in the mist that covered the floor. The reindeer reared with fear, and stray Nightmares of black sand soared over and taunted them from afar. Besides them, Pitch and Unknown were nowhere to be seen.

The Guardians followed North in a tight group; weapons drawn for any surprise attacks. Bunny and Sandy were at the back, and Tooth and Jack in between. The fairy noticed that Jack was wincing again as he walked, and Tooth placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the Winter Spirit to open his eyes.

"Will you be alright?" the Tooth Fairy whispered. Jack nodded as the pain subsided again.

Time was forgotten in this realm, so the Guardians had no idea how much time they had before…

There was a sudden noise, halting everyone in their tracks.

It was laughter. It echoed through the darkness, bringing shivers to everyone's spines.

Everyone took their most fearsome fighting stance as two shadows came into view, forming two figure.

The Boogeyman, and the Shadow himself. Unknown.

Jack growled, something he would never do unless he was angry. His staff grew brighter as he tightened his grip.

"Well," started Pitch, smiling greedily. "I see you found you way into our realm." He waved a hand around as if to show the darkness. But the Guardians eyes didn't move from theirs. They showed a little surprise when they looked at the Shadow.

Unknown grinned. "I guess you all know me, from Jack's point of view." He pointed a black finger to the young latter, making him glare fiercely and say, "And I know your name."

"Of course you do!"

"No," said the Easter Bunny, stepping forward. "Your real name." Unknown's eyebrow's lifted in surprise as if he were struck, but shook his head and scowled.

"How can you possibly know my name?" he sputtered, unconvinced.

"Because Jack knows," said Tooth, her wings fluttering furiously. "And he told us." Unknown glared at Jack, but the sprite only glared back; his staff flashing blue.

"I will tell you," he said, "only if you cure me from this poison."

"Never!" And with that, the battle began.

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><p><strong>And the battle begins! It may take a long time, but please be patient! I have a lot on my mind and not enough time for typing this story. I'll make sure comes soon though!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

Unknown vanished as Bunny swung his boomerangs at Pitch, missing him by a hairs breadth. The Boogeyman raised his hands, and four Nightmares appeared from the mist, charging at the Pooka. But Tooth zoomed past, destroying two in her path, and North swung his sword and demolished one while Bunny threw a boomerang, killing another.

Pitch growled with fury, and raised his hands slower and higher above his head, summoning thousands of Nightmares from beneath and around him. As he lifted himself into the air, Sandy formed a cloud of golden sand, and Tooth followed him as they destroyed more of the black horses.

Jack watched the scene in terror. So much was happening; he wanted to get in there and help, but Unknown had to be taken care of.

Speaking of him, the Shadow appeared behind him and said, "Hello, Jack." With that, he whacked the Winter Spirit into the air, causing him to skid across the ground and stop himself with his staff.

He knelt there, gasping for air at the sudden hit Unknown had successfully given him, and looked up. The tall, black man stared down at him with cold, white eyes that seemed to make the boy shiver with fright. He grinned a sharp-toothed grin, and through his teeth he hissed.

"You've always been pathetic, boy," he said. He gripped the collar of Jack's hoodie, and through him aside. The boy stumbled to his feet before getting hit in the face. "Weak," said the man, snarling. "Hated!" He pressed his foot down on Jacks' chest, causing him to gasp with pain. "I don't even understand how you became a Guardian!"

"I was chosen…by the Man….in the Moon!" Jack struggled to get up, but Unknown only pressed harder. Jack's staff was further than his hand could reach, and the villain above him only laughed with humour. "You really thought you could kill me that easily, did you?" he grinned. Jack finally caught his staff and said with more courage, "Yes. But I think I can do it the hard way." With that, he swung his staff at the Shadow, hitting him in the chest with blue ice and causing him to slam into a giant boulder.

The Winter Spirit stood up, and with more courage and hope than before, he cautiously walked over to Unknown.

The Dark Spirit saw him coming, and flicked his hand, triggering a large spike that came hurtling toward the younger. But Jack easily brought his staff before him, smashing the spike into a million pieces. Unknown stood up and tried again and again, but the Winter Spirit was unfazed and kept coming closer and closer. Then they were face to face, glaring into each other's eyes with evil glares.


	10. Chapter 10

Everyone froze. Even the realm they battled in seemed to freeze with tension. The other Guardians and Pitch stared at the two with surprise and shock. Although Unknown was taller, Jack Frost seemed even taller, glaring at him and looking as though he was shooting blue ice into the other's eyes.

"I will defeat you," hissed the Winter Spirit through pearly-white teeth. Unknown growled, and not very roughly, pushed Jack to the side, allowing him to walk away from the boulder a few meters and face Jack with blazing white eyes.

"No," he disagreed. "_I_ will defeat you!" With that said, he through his arms up into the air, summoning distorted–shaped shadows from all around him. It was as if the realm was sucked dry from shadows, and in its place was only blackness.

Unknown rose into the sky, and stared down at Jack as if the spirit of winter were merely a mouse. Jack shook his head as if to shake the pain that threatened to hurt him, and shot into the sky, halting and hovering a few meters from the villain. There was hardly any wind around this place, but Jack somehow stayed upright.

Laughter echoed across the ruins, and Unknown shot a huge beam of black towards the Winter Spirit. Jack brought his staff up, and shot a beam of blue ice that seemed to spark with white electricity. A ball of black and white formed in the center, and the two fought with all their strength. But Jack, weakened from the black poison that shaded his heart, was pushed back by the force of Unknowns power. The other Guardians saw his distress, and, abandoning Pitch, leapt to their youngest members' aid.

Something powerful suddenly tingled in their veins, and North and Bunnymund were brought up into the air by mysterious magic as the Guardians formed a semicircle behind Jack. Then, with all their will, they shot their hands/paws forward, and sparkling beams of colour reflected into the Winter Spirit. With the sudden colours red, yellow, green and dark blue, Jack felt much stronger. And with Pitch at his aid, Unknown snarled and tried his best to keep the white light away from him.

But he was failing, and the white light crashed into him and Pitch, and there was an explosion of colours.

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><p><em><strong>Flashback…<strong>_

Jackson slowly opened his eyes. He lay in the snow, and his head throbbed. It was almost night, and the shadows under the trees were fading.

"Jack!" a voice almost screamed. His sister, Emma, came running up to him, followed closely by their father.

"What happened to you?" he said, his gruff voice full of worry. He knelt down and brought Jackson's head into his lap.

"I…don't know," said the 16 year old. "I must have…fallen out of a tree…or got hit by something…" he was fading into unconsciousness again until his father picked him up and carried him to their house. By the time they entered the little village of Burgess, the wind was beginning to pick up, bringing small flakes scattering in the breeze.

"My goodness!" exclaimed the sibling's mother as they walked into the door of their cosy home. Jackson was barely awake when he was laid on a few blankets in front of a burning fire. "What happened?" Mother was almost yelling in worry and a hint of anger.

"We don't know," said Father as Mother grabbed a warm towel and draped it over the boy's head. "Emma had found him like this and came to get me. That's when I brought him back." Mother, Father and Emma knelt beside Jackson, waiting for him to wake.

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><p><strong>I'll make sure the next chapter comes soon! <strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter! Sorry it's been a long wait, but please, enjoy!**

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><p>The darkness was scared away by the explosion of light. The ruins were still there, but the mist turned to emerald-green grass and vines slowly grew around the white bricks of the ancient, crumbled buildings. The vines also surrounded the giant boulders, covering them with moss and tiny flowers.<p>

Sunlight shone into the scene, making it look as though this place was heaven.

Bunnymund sat up, dazed, and as he looked around he thought he was dead, and had just arrived in heaven. When he stood, he saw North, Tooth and Sandy getting to their feet. But Jack was nowhere to be seen. They started searching desperately for him, but the only clue that he was here was the frost covered grass from where he had taken off into the sky to fight Pitch.

The Guardians had almost lost hope when Tooth spotted a blue and silver wisp silently floating down towards them. It flew to the ground in front of them, and started spinning, circling higher and higher, forming the body of their friend. Then Jack Frost appeared, swaying slightly and shaking his head. He looked around and saw the wide smiles spread across the Guardians' faces, and before he could speak, they ran up to him in relief, hugging him as if they thought he would disappear again.

"I'm so glad your back," said Tooth as they stepped back enough for Jack to catch his breath from the tight group hug.

"It thought we lost you for good!" exclaimed Bunny, punching lightly on the Winter Spirits shoulder.

"Well," smiled Jack. "I have many surprises, _still_, that you don't know about." He folded his arms in pride, and everyone rolled their eyes.

"Hey guys," Bunny pitched in, looking up and around. "Have you noticed a major change in this realm?" The Guardians looked up, realizing the transformation that occurred when they defeated…hang on.

"Where's Unknown and Pitch?" asked Tooth, her wings fluttering faster. She darted around with her striking stance at the ready, but all she heard was the silent trickling of a nearby creek and a few birds tweeting and singing in the trees. She relaxed, along with the others, but everyone's eyes kept darting from place to place just in case.

A sudden moan was heard from behind a small, flat boulder as Pitch Black stood up, shaking his head. He looked up and noticed the Guardians staring at him in anger and a little surprise. He tried smiling innocently as the protectors of childhood stormed up to him, trapping him against a pile of large rocks.

"Look, it was all a mistake," said Pitch. He laughed nervously. "It wasn't even my idea-"

"Where's Unknown?" asked Jack, stepping forward and raising his staff to the Nightmare Kings' neck.

"I don't know…"

"How do we know you're not lying?"

"Jack," North said, placing a hand on the latter's shoulder. "He may be telling the truth." Jack made a frustrated growl, and turned back to Pitch.

"Okay," he said. "Then if he's still alive, tell him this. If he comes across us again, we'll make sure he stays dead. Got that?" Pitch nodded like a frightened animal, and disappeared into the shadows.

It was a moment to realise what had happened. The explosion they caused seemed to form a haven to the realm, brightening every dark crack or ditch and turning into a dream-like land. Animals that weren't there before had appeared from hiding, and were scurrying and flying around as if to take in their new, long lost surroundings.

As the Guardians explored the land, Jack remembered the vision of his past he had when the explosion occurred. He remembered what had happened earlier, and the memory came back to him in a flash.

_**Flashback…**_

Jackson was having a stroll around the village when he spotted a squirrel close by. The little creature looked up and, suddenly terrified, scurried away into the forest. Jackson followed, slightly guilty for scaring the critter. The squirrel made tiny footprints in the snow as it ran. It clambered up a tree, and Jackson climbed up after it. By the time he was high on a branch, the squirrel had disappeared.

The boy pouted, and as he was making his way down, he saw Dalvin, and a rock was thrown at him before he could even blink. It hit him in the head, and he fell to the ground with a thump.

The last he heard was amused laughter, until he blacked out.

Jackson awoke in his home by a fire. He blinked once, twice, and looked around the room. It was midnight to the looks of things. His mother was silently snoring on a feather-stuffed chair close to the fire, and his father was sharpening a knife that he used to cut open fish in summer. And to the looks of things, it looked like Emma had gone to sleep hours ago.

Jackson let out a moan as he sat up, making his father halt and look over at his now awake son. The man placed the knife in a small sheath at his belt, and silently walked over to the 17 year old. He knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder, making the boy glance up and sigh in relief at his father's presence.

"How are you feeling?" Father asked, searching for any pain in the boys eyes.

Jackson sighed again, looked away. "I'm alright," he said.

"What happened to you?" Jackson looked back at his father, and began his story. Once he finished, Father huffed with disappointment at Dalvin's actions, and smiled before the boy could notice.

"You need some rest," he said. Jackson nodded, and with the help of his father, stood up and slumped into a bed with his sister.

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><p>Jack Frost flinched as the memory disappeared, remembering the pain he was in when he was hit in the head by the rock. At least Unknown was gone.<p>

That reminded him!

Jack placed a hand on his chest and closed his eyes, ready for any pain. There was nothing! He was cured!

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><p><strong>I'll make sure the next one comes out soon! Unless...review if you think this needs another chapter. ;)<strong>


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